The 42nd Dortmund Sparkassen elite tournament took place in Germany last month. The eight-player round-robin has traditionally been a happy hunting ground for Russian former world champion Vladimir Kramnik. But this year saw what may be a significant passing of the baton. Kramnik finished second-to-last on 2½/7 and it was 22 year old Italian Fabiano Caruana who completely dominated. His unbeaten winning score of 5½ was 1½ points clear of Peter Leko (Hungary) and Georg Meier (Germany) in second place.
The result catapulted Caruana to third in the world rankings, taking his rating over the 2800 mark for the first time. Some consider him the most likely successor to Magnus Carlsen, as the only elite player younger than the current world champion.
Today's game is from the second round at Dortmund. Caruana has the white pieces against Ukrainian GM Ruslan Ponomariov.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3
The Nimzovitch Attack has become the weapon of choice against the Petroff Defence at the elite level. White aims for rapid development and queenside castling to put pressure down the open central files on the solid but passive Black position. 5... Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 Nc6 8.Qd2 Be6 9. O-O-O Qd7
Also planning to castle queenside to avoid the inevitable pawn storm that would follow 9... O-O. Suicidal would have been 9... Bxa2? 10.b3 trapping the bishop. 10. Kb1 Bf6 11. h3 h6 12. b3!
With the black king uncommitted, White subtly controls the c4 square in preparation for placing his bishop on the long white diagonal. 12... a6 13. g4 O-O-O 14. Bg2 g5 15.Nd4 Nxd4
Straightening out the doubled White pawns, but 15... Ne5 has little point with c4 unavailable. 16. cxd4d5
Necessary to stop threat of 17. d5 winning the bishop or cramping Black too much. Having established the much superior light-squared bishop, White now improves his other bishop. 17. f4! gxf4 18. Bxf4 h5 19. g5 Bg7 20. Rde1!
Better than 20. h4, which despite supporting his g-pawn and removing the target on h3, allows Black's bishop access to g4. White's plan is to keep this piece under lock and key. 20... h4 21. Be5 Rdg8 22. Qf4 Qd8 23. Bf1 Kb8 24. Bd3 Bc8 25. Kb2 Bxe5 26. Rxe5 Rg7 27. a4 a5
Black does not want to entertain the pawn exchange 27... Rhg8 28. Qxh4 Rxg5 29. Rxg5 Rxg5 30. Qf2 Rh5 31. h4 Be6 32. Be2 Rh6 33. Qf4 forcing his pieces to passively block the threatened advance of the passed h-pawn. The text prevents further White expansion on the queenside. 28. Ka2 Ka7 29. Qd2 Kb8 30. Qf4 Ka7 31. Rhe1!
Breaking the cat & mouse of the last few moves. The threat of 32. Re7 forces the exchange of the exchange of h-pawns and a pair of rooks, after which White's pieces individually dominate their black counterparts. 32... Bxh3 32. Rh1 Bc8
If 32... Qd7 33. Qf6! forces the rook to e7 with overwhelming threats. 33. Rxh4 Rxh4
Or 33...Rhg8 34. Qf6! with advantage. 34. Qxh4 b6?!
Creating a hole on c6, allowing White to suddenly create threats on both sides of the board. Instead 34... c6! bolstering d5 seems to keep White at bay, though a long and patient defence would still lie ahead. 35. Qh6 Rg8 36. Qc6! Be6
After 36... Bb7 37. Qf6 Qxf6 38. gxf6 Black is doomed in the ending due to his weak f-pawn:. e.g. 38... Kb8 39. Re7 Rf8 40. c4 with gradual domination, or 38... Ba6 39. Bxa6 Kxa6 40. Rxd5 Rg6 41. Rd7 Rxf6 42. Rxc7 and the passed d-pawn trumps the f-pawn. 37. g6! Rg7?
Allowing a delightful mating combination, but after 37... Bd7 38. Qxd5 fxg6 39. Qc4 Qc8 (39... Kb8 40. Be4 Qc8 is the same) 40. Re7 Re8 41. Rg7 wins the g-pawn with an ongoing attack. 38. gxf7! Bxf7 39. Re7! Qxe7 40. Ba6! Kxa6 41.Qa8 mate
Dortmund doorstep to 2800
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
The 42nd Dortmund Sparkassen elite tournament took place in Germany last month. The eight-player round-robin has traditionally been a happy hunting ground for Russian former world champion Vladimir Kramnik. But this year saw what may be a significant passing of the baton. Kramnik finished second-to-last on 2½/7 and it was 22 year old Italian Fabiano Caruana who completely dominated. His unbeaten winning score of 5½ was 1½ points clear of Peter Leko (Hungary) and Georg Meier (Germany) in second place.
The result catapulted Caruana to third in the world rankings, taking his rating over the 2800 mark for the first time. Some consider him the most likely successor to Magnus Carlsen, as the only elite player younger than the current world champion.
Today's game is from the second round at Dortmund. Caruana has the white pieces against Ukrainian GM Ruslan Ponomariov.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. Nxe5 d6
4. Nf3 Nxe4
5. Nc3
The Nimzovitch Attack has become the weapon of choice against the Petroff Defence at the elite level. White aims for rapid development and queenside castling to put pressure down the open central files on the solid but passive Black position.
5... Nxc3
6. dxc3 Be7
7. Be3 Nc6
8.Qd2 Be6
9. O-O-O Qd7
Also planning to castle queenside to avoid the inevitable pawn storm that would follow 9... O-O. Suicidal would have been 9... Bxa2? 10.b3 trapping the bishop.
10. Kb1 Bf6
11. h3 h6
12. b3!
With the black king uncommitted, White subtly controls the c4 square in preparation for placing his bishop on the long white diagonal.
12... a6
13. g4 O-O-O
14. Bg2 g5
15.Nd4 Nxd4
Straightening out the doubled White pawns, but 15... Ne5 has little point with c4 unavailable.
16. cxd4 d5
Necessary to stop threat of 17. d5 winning the bishop or cramping Black too much. Having established the much superior light-squared bishop, White now improves his other bishop.
17. f4! gxf4
18. Bxf4 h5
19. g5 Bg7
20. Rde1!
Better than 20. h4, which despite supporting his g-pawn and removing the target on h3, allows Black's bishop access to g4. White's plan is to keep this piece under lock and key.
20... h4
21. Be5 Rdg8
22. Qf4 Qd8
23. Bf1 Kb8
24. Bd3 Bc8
25. Kb2 Bxe5
26. Rxe5 Rg7
27. a4 a5
Black does not want to entertain the pawn exchange 27... Rhg8 28. Qxh4 Rxg5 29. Rxg5 Rxg5 30. Qf2 Rh5 31. h4 Be6 32. Be2 Rh6 33. Qf4 forcing his pieces to passively block the threatened advance of the passed h-pawn. The text prevents further White expansion on the queenside.
28. Ka2 Ka7
29. Qd2 Kb8
30. Qf4 Ka7
31. Rhe1!
Breaking the cat & mouse of the last few moves. The threat of 32. Re7 forces the exchange of the exchange of h-pawns and a pair of rooks, after which White's pieces individually dominate their black counterparts.
32... Bxh3
32. Rh1 Bc8
If 32... Qd7 33. Qf6! forces the rook to e7 with overwhelming threats.
33. Rxh4 Rxh4
Or 33...Rhg8 34. Qf6! with advantage.
34. Qxh4 b6?!
Creating a hole on c6, allowing White to suddenly create threats on both sides of the board. Instead 34... c6! bolstering d5 seems to keep White at bay, though a long and patient defence would still lie ahead.
35. Qh6 Rg8
36. Qc6! Be6
After 36... Bb7 37. Qf6 Qxf6 38. gxf6 Black is doomed in the ending due to his weak f-pawn:. e.g. 38... Kb8 39. Re7 Rf8 40. c4 with gradual domination, or 38... Ba6 39. Bxa6 Kxa6 40. Rxd5 Rg6 41. Rd7 Rxf6 42. Rxc7 and the passed d-pawn trumps the f-pawn.
37. g6! Rg7?
Allowing a delightful mating combination, but after 37... Bd7 38. Qxd5 fxg6 39. Qc4 Qc8 (39... Kb8 40. Be4 Qc8 is the same) 40. Re7 Re8 41. Rg7 wins the g-pawn with an ongoing attack.
38. gxf7! Bxf7
39. Re7! Qxe7
40. Ba6! Kxa6
41.Qa8 mate
1-0
Solution: 1. Qe6+! Kxc5 2. Qd6+ Kc4 3. Ne5#.